Oscillation-responsive device.



,PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

- L. DE FOREST. OSCILLATION RBSPONSIVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19.1906.

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UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE.

LEE DE FOREST, ()FNEW YORK, N. Y.

OSClLLATION-RESPONSIVE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Original application filed January 18 1908, Serial No. 296,615. Divided and this application filed May 19, 1906. Serial No. 317,722.

To all wltom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, LEEDE FOREST, 0. citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of N cw York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oscillation ltesponsive Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for detecting feeble electrical currents or oscillations, in general, and especially such currents or oscillations which are developed in wireless-telegraph receiving systems.

'lhe object of m'yinvention is to provide an oscillation detector or responder of great simplicity and sensitiveness and one which,

inasmuch as it does not depend for its operation u on any variation of resistance of an impe ect electrical contact or any variation of the a parent resistance or counter electromotive orce of a polarization-cell, requires no adjustment when employed for receiving wireless-telegraph signals.

With these objects in view, my invention comprises a receptacle inclosing a sensitive, gaseous conductingmedium, the ponductivity of which does not depend upon heating the same; a wave-intercepting means associated with said gaseous conducting medium wherebythe feeble electrical currents or oscillations resulting from the energy absorbed from electromagnetic signal-waves may be impressed upon said gaseous conducting medium to alter its conductivity; and a signalindicating device operatively connected with said gaseous conducting medium whereby alterations in the conductivity of the latter may be made manifest.

My invention may best be understood by having reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification and which illustrate diagrammatically two simple embodiments of my invention.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent wireless-telegraph receiving systems, provided with the oscillation-responsive device which constitutes the subject-matter of the present invention. 1

In the figures, A represents a receiving-antenna connected to earth at E and associated with the receptacle B. Two electrodes I are inclosed within said receptacle which may be partially exhausted, and as shown they are sealed in said receptacle. The electrodes I may have any-suitable shape, although they are herein shown as disks, and

they may consist of platinum or other suitable material. The gaseous medium intervening between the electrodes I is rendered sensitive to electrical oscillations by connecting said electrodes in circuit with a suitable source of electrical energy which is so adjusted as to render said gaseous medium sensithe electrodes 1 by the source H depends,

upon the nature of the gas intervening between the electrodes and upon the degree of exhaustion maintained within the rece tacle B. By employing a higher degree 0 exhaustion a smaller voltage than that above mentioned may be employed. In both figures the gas may be air or it. may be a gas containing compounds of the halogen or halogen salts or it may be mercurywapor. The passage of electrical oscillations across the gap alters the conductivity of the gas in the gap, probably by changing the speed of the ions in said gas and thereby current variations are produced in the circuit containing the telephone F. In Fig. 1 the telephone F is in series with the electrodes I and the battery H, although it may be electrically connected with said electrodes in any suitable manner.

In Fig. 2, L represents a source of vibratory or .alternating electromotive force of a frequency so high that a high-pitch note is constantly heard in the telephone F, or else so high as to exceed the limit of response 0 the telephone-diaphragm. The advantage in using the source of alternating or vibratory electromotive force is that the voltage may let telephone F may be included in sc'rics with the circuit containing the secondary of the transformer M and electrodes 1, or it may be electrically connected with Sll-lll electrodes no any suitable manner. The cil'cct of the passage of high-frequency oscillations across the gap between the electrodes 1 may be m creased in the tele hone by including a battery J in series wit 1 the telephone. In such case the conductivity of the gas in said gap, effected by the high-potential alternating current, will allow'the relatively low potential direct current from the battery J to flow in the circuit containing the telephone and the electrodes, and the passage of electrical system of circuits may be employed with said oscillation-res onsive device.

I do not wish to e limited to the particular embodiments ofmy invention which I have herein disclosed, inasmuch as many modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 296,615, filed January 18, 1906.

I claim 1. An oscillation-responsive device, com prising a partially-exhausted receptacle, two separated electrodes sealed in said receptacle, and a circuit including a source of electrical energy connected in series with said electrodes and the gaseous medium intervening between the same, the said source of electrical energy. being so adjusted as to render the said gaseous medium sensitive to electrical oscillations.

2. An oscillation-responsive device, comprising a partially-exhausted receptacle, two separated electrodes sealed in sald receptacle, and a circuit including a source of electrical energy and a signal-indicating device electrically connected with said electrodes, the said source of electrical energy being so adjusted as to render the said gaseous medium sensitive to electrical oscillations.

3. An oscillation-responsive device, comprising a partially-exhausted receptacle, two

separated electrodes sealed in sand receptacle, and a circuit including a source of electrical ener and a signal-indicating device connected 1n series with said electrodes, the said source of electrical energy being so adjusted as to render the said gaseous medium sensitive to electrical oscillations.

4. An oscillation-responsive device comprising a partially-exhausted receptacle, two separated electrodes sealed in said receptacle, a circuit connected in series with said 1 and a source .0

electrodes and the gaseous medium'intervem ing between the same, means for develo ing in said circuit a vibratory electromotive orce of such character as to render the said gaseous medium sensitive to electrical oscillations, and means whereby electrical oscilla-' tions may be impressed upon said gaseous medlum.

5. An oscillation-responsive device commedium sensitive to electrical oscillations, a

circuit including a signal-indicating device electrically connected with said electrodes and means whereby electrical oscillations may be impressed upon said gaseous medium.

6. An oscillationresponsive device comprising a partially-exhausted receptacle, two separated electrodes sealed in said receptacle, a circuit connected in series with said electrodes and the gaseous medium intervening between the same, means for develo ing in said circuit a vibratory electromotive orce of such character as to render said gaseous medium sensitive to electrical oscillations, a circuit including a signal-indicating device electric energy electrically connected with said electrodes and means whereby electrical oscillations may be impressed upon said gaseous medium.

' 7. An oscillation-responsive device comprising a receptacle, two separated electrodes inclosed within said receptacle, and a circuit including a source of electrical energy con nected in series with said electrodes and the gaseous medium intervening between the same, the said source of electrical energy being so adjusted as to render the said gaseous medium sensitive to electrical oscillations.

8. An oscillation-responsive device com-' ,trical energy being so adjusted as to render the said aseous medium sensitive to electrical osci lations.

10. An oscillation-responsive device comprising a receptacle, two separated electrodes inclosed withm said receptacle, a circuit conass on nected in series with said electrodes and the 11. An oscillation-responsive device/com rising a receptacle, two separated electrodes mclosed within said receptacle, a circuit connected in series with said electrodes and the gaseous medium intervening between the same, means, for developing in said circuit a vibratory electromotive force of such character, as to render said aseous medium sensitive to electrical osc' ations, a circuit including a signal-indicating device electrically connected with said electrodes and means whereby electrical oscillations .may be impressed upon said gaseous medium.

12. An oscillation-responsive device com;

prising a receptacle, two separated electrodes mclosedmlthm sa d rece tacle, a circuit connected iln series with said electrodes and the gaseous medium intervening between the same, means. for developing in said circuit a vibratory electromotive force of such character as to render said. aseous medium sensitive to electrical osci ations, a'circuit including a signal-indicating device and a source of electric energy electrically connected with said electrodes and means whereby electrical oscillations may be impressed upon said gaseous medium.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of May, 1906.

LEE DE FOREST.

Witnesses:

PHILIP FAUNTLEROY, GEO. L. LEWIS. 

